Microscopy in Endodontics: A Bibliometric Survey

BACKGROUND: Microscopy is a resource used in endodontics as an aid in the study of pulp and periapical pathologies; it has allowed Endodontics to become more accurate, less invasive and has enabled greater chances of success in treatment. We aimed to map the scientific production on “microscopy” and “endodontics” in the databases, the ISI Web of Knowledge/Web of Science (tm). METHODS: This bibliometric survey was conducted using ISI Web of Knowledge/Web of Science database, in the time frame between the years 1945 and 2016, the first being found in 1981. RESULTS: Overall, 287 articles were identified. These articles are published in 63 different journals and were written by 1145 authors who have links to 336 institutions, located in 46 countries. To achieve these articles, 5,668 references were used, with an average of approximately 20 references per article. In the national literature the number of studies on the subject is broad compared to the international literature. CONCLUSION: The bibliometric review showed the potential of microscopy in clinical practice, the continuity of the investigation, in view of the need to expand knowledge on the topic that remains relevant.